Method for playing media based upon user feedback

ABSTRACT

A method for playing media based upon feedback from a user using a media system for the selective playing of media clips based upon feedback collected from a user includes a storage device electronically storing at least one media file and a media organization file. The media organization file includes at least two media selection parameters, each of the at least two media selection parameters having a number of media descriptions, and a database that associates each of a number of media clips with at least one of the media descriptions. The media system further includes an interface program for receiving at least two desired media descriptions from the user, a goal seeking engine for selecting a number of suitable media clips from the media clips based upon the at least two desired media descriptions, and a media player for playing the suitable media clips. Once the suitable media clips have been played, the media system uses a question program interface having a plurality of questions for accepting feedback from the user. The feedback is inputted into the goal seeking engine for reselecting the suitable media clips based upon the feedback of the user.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application for a utility patent is a continuation-in-part of thefollowing previously filed utility patents: application Ser. No.09/562,244, filed Apr. 28, 2000; application Ser. No. 09/570,326, filedMay 12, 2000 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,430,852; and application Ser. No.09/609,476, filed Jun. 30, 2000.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to methods for playing media, and moreparticularly to a method for playing media based upon feedback from auser.

2. Description of the Related Art

The following art defines the present state of this field:

Sawyer, U.S. Pat. No. 4,717,971, discloses a method for establishing anelectronic picture file composed of a plurality of individual picturesstored on several disks. The method uses an editing procedure that iscontrolled by a plurality of attributes selected by the user. First, theuser assigns a category to each picture. The user then has the option ofspecifying picture order, time allotted for viewing each picture andtext to accompany each picture. The system generates an electronicpicture file that is organized according to these parameters.

Richards, U.S. Pat. No. 5,301,172, discloses a method of storingmultimedia clips “user information items”) broken by inserted “selectionpoints.” A reproducing apparatus then reproduces the multimedia clipsand allows the user to direct the course of the multimedia presentationby his or her responses at the selection points. Each selection point iscapable of directing the multimedia presentation to a plurality ofdifferent multimedia clips.

Beitel, U.S. Pat. No. 5,339,423, discloses a computer/software systemwhich enables a user to produce and display an audio/visual applicationusing a library of image, audio and story objects.

Drake, U.S. Pat. No. 5,550,966, discloses an automated presentationcapture system that captures and stores audio/video/presentation inputsand stores them in a database.

Gustman, U.S. Pat. No. 5,832,495, discloses cataloging multimedia databy labeling the different “elements” or pieces of each stream of media(audio, video, etc.) and associating keywords with each element. Thisdata can be organized in a database and searched for the purpose oflocating a specific element of multimedia.

Beitel, U.S. Pat. No. 5,274,758, discloses a user/PC interface systemwhich enables the creation and performance of a synchronizedaudio/visual story on the PC. The system plays an audio presentation;and the audio presentation includes “labels” that, when played, triggerthe generation of video images. Since the video images are displayedwhen triggered by the “label”, the entire presentation is synchronized.

Etra, U.S. Pat. No. 5,012,334, discloses a video image bank system forpreparing an edit tape and associated edit list from a library of stockvideo image sequences.

Isadore-Barreca, U.S. Pat. No. 5,590,262, discloses an interactive videocreation method for constructing an interactive video interface having aprimary video layer, a library layer and a resource data base layer.

Ettlinger, U.S. Pat. No. 4,746,994, discloses a video-taped-basedediting system that uses a plurality of video recorders and acomputer-based operator's console to allow easier editing.

Pooser, U.S. Pat. No. 5,812,134, discloses a 3-D display of the contentsof a database. The 3-D display provides a user with both the “position”and relationships of the information unit being examined relative to theremainder of the database, as well as the information regarding theoverall size and complexity of the database.

Nunally, U.S. Pat. No. 5,974,235, discloses techniques for storing videoin a database and analyzing the video image data in order to detectsignificant features of the images. This system is useful for analyzingthe videos produced by surveillance cameras to detect intruders.

The prior art teaches various search engines for ordering media files.However, the prior art does not teach a dynamic search engine thatbuilds a custom media presentation according to parameters specified bythe user. The prior art also does not teach a media system that solicitsfeedback from the user and modifies the media presentation in responseto the feedback. The present invention fulfills these needs and providesfurther related advantages as described in the following summary.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention teaches certain benefits in construction and usewhich give rise to the objectives described below.

The present invention provides a method for playing media based uponfeedback from a user. The method includes the steps of first organizingand formatting a plurality of media clips, and then playing theplurality of media clips based upon input supplied by the user. Themethod is performed using a media system that includes a means forstoring at least one media file and a media organization file. The mediaorganization file includes at least two media selection parameters, eachof the at least two media selection parameters having a plurality ofmedia descriptions, and a database that associates each of the pluralityof media clips with at least one of the plurality of media descriptions.The media system further includes a means for receiving at least twodesired media descriptions from the user, a means for selecting aplurality of suitable media clips from the plurality of media clipsbased upon the at least two desired media descriptions, and a means forplaying the plurality of suitable media clips. Once the plurality ofsuitable media clips have been played, the media system uses a means forsoliciting feedback and a means for accepting feedback from the user,and a means for reselecting the plurality of suitable media clips basedupon the feedback of the user.

A primary objective of the present invention is to provide a mediasystem having advantages not taught by the prior art.

Another objective is to provide a media system that allows aprofessional to organize and classify material so that a user canutilize a goal seeking search engine to create custom mediapresentations that meet the requirements of the user.

A further objective is to provide a media system that solicits feedbackfrom the user and modifies the media presentation in response to thefeedback.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent from the following more detailed description, taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way ofexample, the principles of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying drawings illustrate the present invention. In suchdrawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a personal computer useful forpracticing the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram thereof;

FIG. 3A is a table illustrating how each of a plurality of media clipsis provided by one of a plurality of media files;

FIG. 3B is a table that functions to define the plurality of media clipsfrom within one media file;

FIG. 4 is a table illustrating a defining means of a media organizationfile, the defining means including a plurality of media selectionparameters, each of the plurality of media selection parameters having aplurality of media descriptions;

FIG. 5 is a table illustrating a database means of the mediaorganization file;

FIG. 6A is a computer monitor screen upon which is displayed a firstembodiment of a means for receiving a plurality of desired mediadescriptions, the means for receiving being an interface programgenerated by the personal computer to receive a desired topic, a desiredcomplexity, and a desired play length;

FIG. 6B is another computer monitor screen upon which is displayed theinterface program showing the use of an advanced control box to allowthe user more detailed control over the media system;

FIG. 6C is another computer monitor screen upon which is displayed asecond embodiment of the means for receiving a plurality of desiredmedia descriptions, the means for receiving being an interface programgenerated by the personal computer to receive a plurality of desireduser demographics;

FIG. 7 is a flow diagram illustrating the steps used to solicit,receive, and use feedback from the user to reselect the plurality ofmedia clips;

FIG. 8A is a computer monitor screen upon which is displayed a questionprogram interface;

FIG. 8B is a computer monitor screen upon which is displayed analternative version of the question program interface;

FIG. 9A is a table illustrating how the database means is used toreference each of the plurality of media clips to at least one of aplurality of questions;

FIG. 9B is a table illustrating a first embodiment of a means forre-selecting the plurality of suitable media clips in which the databasemeans is used to reference each of the plurality of questions to atleast two desired media descriptions;

FIG. 9C is a table illustrating a second embodiment thereof, wherein thedatabase means is used to reference each of the plurality of questionsdirectly with at least one of the plurality of media clips;

FIG. 10 is a table illustrating a session file having a play historyfield and a question answer field;

FIG. 11 is a flow diagram illustrating the steps used to produce themedia organization file;

FIG. 12 is a flow diagram illustrating the steps taken by a user toselect and view a plurality of suitable media clips;

FIG. 13 is a flow diagram illustrating the use of feedback from the userto re-select the plurality of suitable media clips; and

FIG. 14 is a block diagram illustrating a plurality of personalcomputers connected via a global computer network to a central computer.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The above described drawing figures illustrate several embodiments ofthe invention, a method for playing media based upon feedback from auser. The method uses a media system 20 for selecting, organizing, andplaying a plurality of suitable media clips 82 drawn from at least onemedia file 32. The media system 20 of the present invention takes aunique approach to data organization that is not shown in the prior art.The media system 20 organizes data by treating it like afour-dimensional object which can be “sliced” and reorganized as desiredby the user 10 to create a custom media presentation that exactly meetsthe requirements of the user 10. The four dimensions employed by thepreferred embodiment of this technology are Width, Depth, Height, andTime. For purposes of this application, the four dimensions refer to theTopic of the media clip, the Complexity of the clip, the Order of theclips with respect to each other, and the length of Time of each clip.The specific dimensions employed, however, may be changed by thoseskilled in the art without departing from the scope of this invention.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the media system 20 includes a means forstoring 30 (“storing means”) the at least one media file 32 and a mediaorganization file 36. The media organization file 36 includes a definingmeans 40 for defining at least two media selection parameters 42 (thedimensions), each of the at least two media selection parameters 42(FIGS. 4 and 6A) having a plurality of media descriptions 44 (FIG. 6A).The media organization file 36 further includes a database means 46 forassociating each of the plurality of media clips 34 with at least one ofthe plurality of media descriptions 44. The media system 20 includes ameans for receiving 70 (“receiving means”) at least two desired mediadescriptions 74 from the user 10, and a means for selecting 80(“selecting means”) the plurality of suitable media clips 82 from theplurality of media clips 34 based upon the at least two desired mediadescriptions 74. In the preferred embodiment, the media system 20further includes a means for playing 90 the plurality of suitable mediaclips 82.

As shown in FIG. 7, the media system 20 further includes the means forsoliciting feedback from the user 10 and the means for generating theplurality of suitable media clips 82 based upon the feedback 112received. In use, a user 10 first enters at least two desired mediadescriptions 74. The at least two desired media descriptions 74 are theninputed into a goal seeking engine 80, which selects and organizes aplurality of suitable media clips 82 from the at least one media file32. In the preferred embodiment, the media system 20 further includesthe means for soliciting feedback 110 from the user 10, a means foraccepting feedback 114 of the user 10, and a means for regenerating 116the plurality of suitable media clips 82 from the feedback 112. In themost preferred embodiment, the means for regenerating 116 operates byregenerating the at least two desired media descriptions 74 from thefeedback 112, and inputing the at least two desired media descriptions74 into the goal seeking engine 80 to regenerate the plurality ofsuitable media clips 82.

The Storing Means

The storing means 30 is preferably an electronic storage device capableof storing both the at least one media file 32 and the mediaorganization file 36. The storing means 30 can be selected by thoseskilled in the art from a variety of suitable storage media, includingmagnetic storage disks, tapes, hard-drives, optical storage disks,memory chips, or other suitable media that are well known to thoseskilled in the art. As shown in FIG. 1, the storing means 30 is acompact disk (“CD”) which can be easily packaged, sold, and transportedin the same way as traditional media.

Those skilled in the art can devise many forms of storing means 30.Since the specific storing means 30 used is not critical to the noveltyof the invention, any equivalent storing means 30 should be consideredwithin the scope of this invention.

The Media File(s) and Media Clip(s)

As shown in FIG. 2, the at least one media file 32 contains the contentthat is to be experienced by the user 10. The at least one media file 32can be any form of media that conveys information, including but notlimited to text (such as .txt, .html, and .doc), audio (such as CD,.mp3, midi, and .wav), animation (such as Macromedia® Flash™), images(such as .jpeg and .gif) and video (such as DVD, MPBG, and .avi), or acombination of the above. The at least one media file 32 contains aplurality of media clips 34. Each of the plurality of media clips 34represents a specific user experience; and it is the selection andcombination of the plurality of media clips 34 that creates the finalwork which is viewed by the user 10. In the preferred embodiment, the atleast one media file 32 includes audio, video, and text, all used inconjunction to convey information about a subject.

As shown in FIG. 3A, in the preferred embodiment the at least one mediafile 32 includes many media files, each media file functioning as one ofthe plurality of media clips 34. While this embodiment increases thetotal storage space necessary to store all of the overlapping materialin multiple files, it makes other aspects of the programming andfunction easier and faster, so this embodiment is currently preferred.

In an alternative embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3B, the at least onemedia file 32 is one large file from which the plurality of media clips34 are drawn. For example, one clip could be defined as the first 30seconds of the large file; and a second clip could be defined asstarting at 30 seconds and continuing for 1 minute and 5 seconds. It ispossible that two or more of the plurality of media clips 34 overlap. Inan example of such a case, the third clip may be defined as startingafter 1 minute and 35 seconds and continuing for 1 minute, while thefourth clip may be defined as starting after 1 minute and 45 seconds andcontinuing for 35 seconds. In this fashion, a single media file 32 canbe “cut up” into the plurality of media clips 34.

The Media Organization File

The media organization file 36 is used to enable the sorting andselection of the plurality of media clips 34 by the goal searchingengine 80 and the means for regenerating 116 the plurality of suitablemedia clips 82. The media organization file 36 is associated with adefining means 40 and a database means 46.

The Defining Means

As shown in FIG. 4, the media organization file 36 is associated withthe defining means 40 for defining at least two media selectionparameters 42. Each of the at least two media selection parameters 42has a plurality of media descriptions 44. Those skilled in the art candevise a variety of media selection parameters 42, and the parameterscan vary depending upon the nature of the plurality of media clips 34and the intended use of the media system 20.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the at least two media selectionparameters 42 include a topic parameter 50 having at least one topic 52,a complexity parameter 54 having at least one complexity rating 56, anorder parameter 60 having at least one order rating 62, and a timeparameter 64 having a length of time 66. The at least one topic 52preferably includes various major topics, as one would expect to see ina table of contents. The at least one complexity rating 56 and the atleast one order rating 62 are preferably a range of numerals. Forexample, the at least one complexity rating 56 could be a range ofnumerals from 1-10 and the at least one order rating 62 could be thenumerals within the range of 1-100. The length of time 66 is preferablya numeric measurement of time in an appropriate interval length. Afurther discussion of these parameters, as well as a practical example,is provided below.

The Database Means

As shown in FIG. 5, the media organization file 36 further includes adatabase means 46 for associating each of the plurality of media clips34 with at least one of the plurality of media descriptions 44 and withat least one of a plurality of questions 122. In the preferredembodiment, the database means 46 associates each of the plurality ofmedia clips 34 with at least one of the at least one topic 52, at leastone of the at least one complexity rating 56, at least one of the atleast one order rating 62, and the length of time 66.

In a simple embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the database means 46includes a simple table assigning each of the plurality of media clips34 to at least one of the at least two desired media descriptions 74. Itis important to recognize that this is an example of a simple version ofthis technology. In a preferred embodiment of this technology, it isexpected that the database means 46 will include a complex relationaldatabase including the above-described data. A relational database,while complicated to produce, is necessary to provide the most effectiveresults from any given search. In such a relational database, each ofthe plurality of media clips 34 is associated with a different one ofthe plurality of media descriptions 44 depending upon the context of thesearch.

Each of the plurality of media clips 34 is preferably also associatedwith at least one of the plurality of questions 122, as shown in FIG.9A. Each of the plurality of questions 122 is further related to eitherat least two desired media descriptions 74, as shown in FIG. 9B, or atleast one of the plurality of media clips 34, as shown in FIG. 9C. Thisaspect of the database means is discussed in greater detail below.

The Interface Program

As shown in FIG. 6A, the means for receiving 70 the at least two desiredmedia descriptions 74 from the user 10 is an interface program 73operably installed to function on a personal computer having a memory70A and a processor 70B, as shown in FIG. 1. The personal computer 70 isoperably connected to a data input mechanism 72, such as a keyboard 72and a mouse 72A. While the keyboard 72 and the mouse 72A are preferred,those skilled in the art can devise many equivalent mechanisms, such asa microphone and voice recognition software (not shown), and suchequivalent embodiments are within the scope of the claimed invention.Since such computers and peripherals are well known in the art, afurther detailed description is not required.

The interface program 73 functions to solicit and receive each of the atleast two desired media descriptions 74 corresponding to one of the atleast two media selection parameters 42. As shown in FIG. 6A, theinterface program 73 preferably draws upon the media organization file36 to produce a screen display on the monitor 90. The screen displayallows the user 10 to use the keyboard 72 and the mouse 72A to input theat least two desired media descriptions 74. In the preferred embodiment,the at least two desired media descriptions 74 include a desired topic75, a desired complexity 76, and a desired play length 78. By inputtingthis information, the user 10 is able to control the output of the mediasystem 20 so the user 10 can select only appropriate portions of themedia content. In this embodiment, the interface program 73 draws uponthe media organization file 36 to produce a screen display on themonitor 90 that lists the at least one topic 52, the at least onecomplexity rating 62, and the desired play length 78.

In the most preferred embodiment, the interface program 73 is expandableto an advanced mode, shown in FIG. 6B, that allows the user 10 theoption of controlling many details of the information required. Forexample, when the user 10 requests information about the birth ofLincoln, he or she can request an advanced control box 124 that offersmore detailed listing of the at least one topic 52, such as informationabout the Lincoln family emigrating from England and information aboutLincoln's father's birth in Virginia. The user 10 then has the option ofeither allowing the media system 20 to prepare a general discussion ofLincoln's birth, or micromanaging the production to get information ofspecific interest or to exclude information that is not of interest.

Through the personal computer 70 and the keyboard 72 and the mouse 72A,the user 10 is able to input the at least two media descriptions 74 intothe interface program 73. In the preferred embodiment, the user 10simply selects the at least two media descriptions 74 from the pluralityof media descriptions 44 and by inputting the desired play length 78, asshown in FIG. 6A. While it is preferred that the user 10 directlymanipulate the at least two media descriptions 74, for maximum control,it should be noted that many forms of “front end” can be placed on thistype of system without altering the fundamental structure of the mediasystem 20. For example, in another embodiment the user 10 might input a“plain English” description of the presentation he or she would like. Anartificial intelligence built into the interface program 73 would thendetermine the at least two media descriptions 74 based upon techniquesthat are known to those skilled in the art. The selections made by theuser 10 are inputted into the goal seeking engine 80, as describedbelow.

Demographics

In a further embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6C, the interface program 73solicits and accepts a plurality of desired user demographics 79 suchthe age, city of residence, sex, and income of the user 10, as well asinformation about interests, hobbies, favorite sports and activities,and other information of interest to advertisers. This embodimentenables an entirely different functionality, wherein the media system 20is used to send targeted advertisements to the user 10 rather than togenerate a custom showing of content. In this embodiment, the pluralityof media clips 34 include several commercials, and the demographicinformation gathered is used to select those advertisements in which theuser 10 would be interested.

For example, in order to have a desired movie transmitted to thepersonal computer 70 for viewing, the user 10 might agree to view agiven number of commercials. To make such a transaction the mostdesirable to both parties, it is helpful if (1) the commercials are ofinterest to the user 10, and (2) the user 10 pays attention to thecommercials.

By entering demographic information into the media player, the personalcomputer 70 is able to precisely target advertising to the user 10,either by the interests of the user 10 or by his or her demographiclocation, or both. This increases the value of the advertising to theadvertiser because the advertisements are directed to interestedconsumers. It also increases the value of the advertising to the user10, because the user 10 is able to watch commercials for products inwhich he or she might be very interested. A young male who is an avidpaintball player, for example, might be interested in learning about anew brand of paintball marker, while he would only be annoyed by acommercial for baby food. This enables companies to precisely targetinformation to niche markets rather than generally broadcasting genericinformation to only the largest segments of society.

Demographic information can be altered and expanded upon throughout theuse of the media system 20, to constantly modify and improve themessages being received by the user 10, as described in further detailbelow.

The Goal Seeking Engine

The means for selecting 80 a plurality of suitable media clips 82 fromthe plurality of media clips 34 is preferably a goal seeking engine forperforming several selection steps. The goal seeking engine 80, acritical component of the media system 20, functions by comparing the atleast two desired media descriptions 74 with the plurality of mediadescriptions 44, selecting the suitable media clips 82 that match theselected criteria, and then selecting the plurality of suitable mediaclips 82, as described below.

First, the goal seeking engine 80 selects, from the plurality of mediaclips 34, only those that are associated with the at least one topic 52that matches the desired topic 75. This can be a relatively simple step,or a relatively complex step, depending upon the complexity of thedatabase means 46.

Second, from those media clips that are associated with the at least onetopic 52, selecting only those media clips that are associated with theat least one complexity rating 56 that matches the desired complexity76. It is important to understand that simply selecting certaincomplexity ratings 56 is a simplification of the final commercialproduct. In the preferred embodiment, the goal seeking engine 80 doesnot just select certain numbers, but uses an 20 algorithm to aggregate arange of numbers (using a number of methods including averaging,weighted averaging, et cetera) to select those of the plurality of mediaclips 34 whose complexity rating 56 approximately matches the desiredcomplexity 76. The user 10 ultimately has control over the range ofdiscretion allowed the goal seeking engine 80, and in the preferredembodiment the user 10 can adjust the “advanced controls” of the goalseeking engine 80 to fine tune the amount of variation that the goalseeking engine 80 is allowed.

Third, from those media clips that are associated with both the at leastone topic 52 that matches the desired topic 75 and the at least onecomplexity rating 56 that matches the desired complexity 76, the goalseeking engine 80 selects the plurality of suitable media clips 82 whichare not duplicates, based on the order rating 62, and the sum of whoselength of time 66 is approximately equal to the desired play length 78.

To make this selection, the goal seeking engine 80 preferably includes asoftware program that implements a goal seeking algorithm. The goalseeking algorithm 80 sorts the potentially available combinations of theplurality of media clips 34 to select the plurality of suitable mediaclips 82 that most closely match the requested characteristics, yetstill fit within the desired play length 78. The goal seeking algorithm80, or an equivalent, is critical because it is expected that, in manysearches, many of the plurality of media clips 34 meet the requirementsdescribed by the user 10—and it is necessary to select only some of theplurality of media clips 34 to arrive at a result that matches thelength of time 66 requested by the user 10. The goal seeking algorithm80 sorts these possibilities and determines a combination that mostclosely fits the needs of the user 10.

Such a search algorithm preferably first organizes the available clips,generally placing larger clips first for easier sorting. The goalseeking engine 80 then preferably uses a recursive search technique toassemble likely combinations, comparing the results with the desiredplay length, and then substituting smaller files for larger files toreduce the size of overall play length until the desired play length isattained. Such recursive search techniques are well known to thoseskilled in the art. A more detailed discussion of the goal seekingalgorithm 80, such as the knapsack algorithm, is contained inAlgorithms, A Functional Programming Approach, 2d Edition, by FethiRabhi and Guy Lapalme, hereby incorporated by reference in full.

The goal seeking algorithm 80 preferably also has the ability to allowfor repetition of material to create the most effective final product.In the preferred embodiment, in cases in which the sum of the lengths oftime 66 of the plurality of suitable media clips 82 is less than thedesired play length 78, or when otherwise suitable, the goal seekingengine 80 has the ability to insert additional media clips which eitheroverlap or are duplicates of one or more of the plurality of suitablemedia clips 82. Suitable duplicates can be determined based upon thedesired topic 75, the desired complexity 76, the length of time 66, andthe order parameter 60 associated with each of the clips. For example,if the media organization file 36 shows that two of the plurality ofmedia clips 34 overlap and have the same order parameter 60, with oneclip being 5 minutes and the second being 2 minutes, the goal seekingengine 80 will initially select the 5 minute clip for display. Then, ifthere is additional time available, the goal seeking engine 80 mightselect the 2 minute segment to repeat and emphasize the point. This isparticularly likely to occur if the 2 minute media clip containsinformation that is close to the complexity or interest specified by theuser 10.

In many cases, the goal seeking algorithm 80 can sort the results of asearch to create a media experience in which the sum of the length oftime 66 of all of the plurality of suitable media clips 82 is almostexactly equal to the desired play length 78. However, it is onlyrequired that the sum of the length of time 66 of all of the pluralityof suitable media clips 82 be approximately equal to the desired playlength 78. For purposes of this invention, the sum need only roughlyapproximate the desired play length 78. In some searches, there may be asubstantial difference between the sum and the desired play length 78.In the preferred embodiment, the user 10 can control how close that goalseeking engine 80 can come to its goal. For example, the user 10 mightrequest a 30 minute presentation and allow 15 minutes in variation. Inanother example, the user 10 might request a 2 minute presentation thatmust be exactly 2 minutes. In most cases, the goal seeking engine 80should be able to very closely meet even the most stringent requirementsof the user 10; however, greater processing time will be required tomeet stringent search criteria. A carefully prepared and formatted mediaorganization file 36 makes it possible for the sum and the desired playlength 78 to be nearly exactly equal.

Finally, the plurality of suitable media clips 82 are ordered based onthe order rating 62. Once again, a linear solution to the process ofordering the plurality of suitable media clips 82 is a simplifiedversion of the preferred embodiment. In the preferred embodiment, thegoal seeking engine 80 uses relational database techniques to assigndifferent order ratings 62 to each of the plurality of suitable mediaclips 82 based upon which other media clips have been selected.

While the best mode of the present invention has been described indetail, it is important to recognize equivalent techniques can bedevised by those skilled in the art, and these alternative techniquesshould be considered within the scope of the claimed invention. The keyto the present invention lies in the categorization of the plurality ofmedia clips 34 and then the dynamic generation of a custom mediaproduction, on the fly, to the specific requirements of the user 10.Those skilled in the art can develop equivalent search routines, andthese search routines should be considered within the scope of theinvention.

Much of the success of the media system 20 depends upon the creation andediting of the media organization file and the plurality of media clips34. If the plurality of media clips 34 are long and not skillfullyedited, the search results will be of lower quality. It is worth noting,however, that a poorly executed search engine, which is not efficient inthis matching step, should still be considered within the scope of thisinvention. The requirement that the sum of the length of time 66 of allof the plurality of suitable media clips 82 be approximately equal tothe desired play length 78 should not be construed as requiring thatanother search engine be effective in matching the sum and the desiredplay length 78 in order to infringe. It is also worth noting that if theuser 10 requests a very narrow field of data and the desired play length78 is very large, the media presentation may be significantly shorterthan the desired play length 78; although the use of repetition by thegoal seeking engine 80 could potentially alleviate the disparity.

The Media Player

In the preferred embodiment, the media system 20 further includes ameans for playing 90 the plurality of suitable media clips 82. In thepreferred embodiment, the playing means 90 is a monitor 90 and a pair ofspeakers 90A that are operatively attached to the personal computer 70.The monitor 90 and the pair of speakers 90A are well known in the priorart and do not 10 constitute an inventive aspect of the invention. It ispossible that many devices might be devised by those skilled in the artto play the media formatted according to the teachings of thisinvention, and these alternative embodiments should be considered withinthe scope of this invention.

A First Example of Use—Documentary of Abraham Lincoln

In an example of a practical application of this technology, we willdescribe the use of the above-described technology to format and view amovie about Abraham Lincoln.

According to the teachings of this invention, as shown in FIGS. 2-6C,the movie is first segmented into the plurality of files 32, each of theplurality of files 32 containing a discrete segment of the movie andrepresenting one of the plurality of media clips 34. Determining how toproperly edit and select each of the plurality of media clips 34requires a great deal of skill, creativity and experience, so it isexpected that this will be performed by a professional.

The professional then creates the defining means 40 to define the atleast two media selection parameters 42 and their respective pluralityof media descriptions 44. According to the preferred embodiment, themedia selection parameters 42 include at least one topic 52, acomplexity parameter 54 having at least one complexity rating 56, anorder parameter 60 having at least one order rating 62, and a timeparameter 64 having a length of time 66; however, it should be kept inmind that other parameters may be devised by those skilled in the art.

In the current example involving the life of Abraham Lincoln, theprofessional could then create topics 52 that are relevant to the lifeof Abraham Lincoln, such as a birth topic, an early childhood topic, anearly presidency topic, a civil war topic, a slavery topic, and a deathtopic. The professional would then define the complexity rating 56, suchas 1-10, with 1 including very general information and 10 including veryspecific details. Finally, the professional would then define the atleast one order rating 62, such as a scale of 1-100, with 1 includingbeing the first clip in the story and 100 being the last clip. Asdescribed above, the use of a linear scale is a simplified version tofacilitate understanding of the invention. In the preferred embodiment,the database means 46 would be a relational database would allow theplurality of media clips 34 to be organized relative to each other,allowing a large plurality of complexity ratings 56 and order ratings 62to be associated with each of the plurality of media clips 34.

Once the defining means 40 has been created, each of the plurality ofmedia clips 34 is then categorized in the database means 46. In thisstep, each of the plurality of media clips 34 is then associated with atleast one of the at least one topic 52, at least one of the at least onecomplexity rating 56, and at least one of the at least one order rating62. Completing the relational database 46 described above would often bea long and difficult task, but it would provide the best response to thequery of the user 10. Finally, each of the plurality of media clips 34is associated with the length of time 66 of the media clip, which isobjectively determined.

Following the example described above, FIG. 5 shows a sample tablecategorizing four media clips. The first media clip, which is 10 minutesin length and generally describes the birth of Abraham Lincoln, iscategorized under the topic of birth, with a complexity of 1, and orderof 1, and a time of 10 minutes. The second media clip, a 5 minutesegment of the first media clip which eliminates some of the backgroundmaterial included in the first clip, is categorized under the topic ofbirth, with a complexity of 1, and order of 1, and a time of 5 minutes;however, it is possible that the complexity could be higher, dependingupon the nature of the information contained on the clip. The thirdmedia clip, a 2 minute clip generally describing the assassination ofAbraham Lincoln, is categorized under the topic of death, with acomplexity of 1, and order of 89, and a time of 2 minutes. The fourthmedia clip, a 2 minute clip describing certain particular details of theassassination, is categorized under the topic of death, with acomplexity of 8, and order of 92, and a time of 2 minutes.

Once the professional has constructed the media organization file 36, itis stored on the storing means 30 along with the plurality of mediaclips 34. According to the preferred embodiment of this invention, thestoring means 30 is a CD which is then distributed to consumers who areinterested in the life of Abraham Lincoln. As described above, it isequally acceptable to distribute the described files via the globalcomputer network or another known method of data distribution.

The user 10 then loads the described files into the personal computer 70by inserting the CD 30, downloading the file, and activating theinterface program 73. As shown in FIG. 6, the user 10 is presented thelist of selections described above. Based upon the input of the user 10,as shown in FIG. 8, the goal searching engine means 80 selects theplurality of suitable media clips 82 for transmission to the playingmeans 90.

In the current example, the user 10 might select a 15 minute overview ofthe life of Lincoln. In this case, the goal seeking engine 80 wouldselect clips 1 and 3 because they are of suitable complexity, and playclip 1 and then clip 3 based on their order. Clip number 2 would berejected based upon the order parameter 60 because the goal searchingengine would recognize that clips 1 and 2 are duplicates, and clip 1 isof a more suitable length. If the user 10 had requested only 7 minutesof presentation, the goal searching engine means 80 would select clips 2and 3 as a more suitable combination.

Once the user 10 had viewed the overview, he or she may request 2minutes of further details of the death of Lincoln, in which case thegoal searching engine would reject clips 1 and 2 as the incorrect topic,but play clip 4 based upon meeting the stated criteria and meeting thetime restrictions.

Of course, a typical product would often contain many hundreds or eventhousands of media clips 34, allowing extremely complex presentationsthat can be customized in any respect to the needs of the user 10. Thisexceptional flexibility and customization allows enormous amounts ofdata to be readily searched, even by those unfamiliar with the field ofthe material, because the material has already been classified andorganized by the professional that is knowledgeable in the field.

A Second Example of Use—Dissemination of Advertising Material

In a second example of a practical application of this technology, wewill describe the use of the above-described technology to format andview a commercial for paintball equipment.

According to the teachings of this invention, the user 10 is first askedto input demographic information such as the user's age, city ofresidence, and major interest, as shown in FIG. 6C. Many commercials,each commercial targeting a specific demographic profile, are stored inthe storing means and indexed, as described above. In a simpleembodiment, each commercial is contained as one of the plurality ofmedia clips. In a more complex embodiment, even the individualcommercials are constructed of many of the plurality of media clips.

When a young male who is interested in sports enters his demographicdata, he is further prompted to select his favorite sport, which causeshim to select paintball. The media system 20 then uses this informationto select those commercials that are targeted to paintball players. Inthe preferred embodiment, several of the plurality of media clips areassembled, showing both generic clips of the product together with clipsthat are specific to the user 10.

For example, if the user 10 lives in Corona, California, he might beshown a clip of a player playing at the TOMBSTONE™ paintball parklocated in the city of Corona and also alerted of a special tournamentthat will be taking place at TOMBSTONE™ on the coming weekend. Suchspecific advertising, which has never before been possible, is simpleusing the media system 20.

The Means for Soliciting Feedback

As shown in FIG. 7, the media system 20 preferable includes the meansfor soliciting feedback 110 from the user 10, the mean s for acceptingfeedback 114, and a means for reselecting 115 the plurality of suitablemedia clips 82 to create a new media display responsive to the feedback112 from the user 10.

The means for soliciting feedback 110 preferably includes a questionprogram interface 120 that generates a screen display, shown in FIGS. 8Aand 8B to display the plurality of questions 122. The plurality ofquestions 122 are drawn from a table in the database means 46. In asimple embodiment, shown in FIG. 9A, each of the plurality of mediaclips 34 is linked to at least one of the plurality of questions 122. Inthis embodiment, the plurality of media clips 34 that are linked toquestions that are answered incorrectly are either transmitted to thegoal seeking engine 80 for sorting, or directly transmitted to the meansfor playing 90. In another embodiment, shown in FIG. 9B, each of theplurality of questions 122 is associated with the at least two desiredmedia descriptions 74, and the at least two desired media descriptions74 are then transmitted to the goal seeking engine 80 for processing, asdescribed above.

The means for reselecting 115 the plurality of suitable media clips 82preferably includes a means for regenerating 116 the at least twodesired media descriptions 74 from the feedback 112, and the at leasttwo desired media descriptions 74 are then entered into the goal seekingengine 80 for processing as described above.

Question Program Interface

As shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, the means for soliciting feedback 110, themeans for accepting feedback 114, and the means for reselecting 115 theplurality of suitable media clips 82 are provided by a question programinterface 120 that is similar to the interface program described above;however, the question program interface 120 functions to present theuser 10 with a plurality of questions 122 and to receive the feedback112 entered by the user 10 into the question program interface 120 forprocessing. The plurality of questions 122 are designed to elicit usefulinformation from the user 10. The information received is then used torefine the plurality of suitable media clips 82 to best provide the user10 with the information in which he or she is interested.

In one example, as shown in FIG. 8A, the plurality of questions 122 aredirected, like a test, to the facts disclosed by the plurality ofsuitable media clips 82 that has already been displayed. For example, ifthe user 10 watches a program about the birth of Abraham Lincoln, theplurality of questions 122 might regard the year (or exact date) ofLincoln's birth, the state of his birth, and his mother's name. Suchquestions are designed to ascertain whether the user 10 has retained thedesired contents of the media clips delivered; and if the questions areanswered incorrectly, the goal seeking engine 80 can use the informationprovided by the answers to regenerate the plurality of suitable mediaclips 82 that teach the lesson with a different selection of mediaclips.

It is important to recognize that the implementation of this concept mayinclude a more detailed approach than the simple example given herein.In the preferred embodiment, multiple questions can be included, and ifthe user 10 misses a question, additional questions will beautomatically generated to flesh out the true extent of the user'sunderstanding of the subject matter. For example, if the user 10 missesa question regarding the birthplace of Lincoln, the user 10 will receiveadditional questions about the subject matter related to this subtopic.The ability of the user 10 to answer some or all of these questions willbetter inform the goal seeking engine 80 as to what media clips need tobe emphasized. In this scenario, one wrong answer might well be ignored,while many wrong answers may lead to the generation of an entire newmedia display to re-teach the subject matter to the user 10.

Such a feedback 112 mechanism is useful for use in schools anduniversities as well as for private use. Entire lesson plans can beformatted according to the teachings of this invention. Rather thangrading students upon correct responses, the students using thisapproach would simply have to watch and re-watch a given lesson planuntil all answers are answered correctly. Such a scenario not onlyremoves competition among students, it also promotes learning as adesirable thing—those students who do not study will be forced to spendtheir free time watching and re-watching lesson plans that otherstudents have avoided by studying hard the first time around. Thepursuit of additional free time will actually motivate the lazieststudents to study the hardest.

Marketing Feedback

In a second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8B, the plurality of questions122 solicit marketing feedback in addition to questions directlyrelating to the facts disclosed in the initial plurality of suitablemedia clips 82. The marketing feedback includes information about whatprice the user 10 would be willing to pay, what colors, styles, andaccessories the user 10 would prefer, and even information about thecommercial itself, whether the commercial was funny or annoying.

This second embodiment is most useful when used in conjunction with thecommercial delivery vehicle described above. Following the collection ofthe demographic data and the presentation of the plurality of suitablemedia clips 82, described above, the user 10 is presented the additionalquestions to constantly improve and refine both the product and theproduct delivery. This allows the sponsor to conduct a detailed focusgroup with all of the potential customers who watch the commercial. Sucha system can also be used to directly sell the product to the consumer,as described below.

Asking the user 10 to answer questions about the commercial allows thesponsor to punctuate important points or pieces of information. Suchquestioning also functions to assure the sponsor that the user 10 haspaid attention to the commercial. If the user 10 was not payingattention and answers incorrectly, the user 10 may be required to watchthe commercial again. Sponsors who have this assurance that theircommercials will be watched with attention and interest will be willingto pay a higher advertising rate than those who anticipate that most oftheir commercials will be ignored or electronically skipped.

While the two above-described embodiments represent the preferred methodof practicing this invention, those skilled in the art can devisealternative methods that are equivalent to the above-described methods,and these alternative methods should be considered within the scope ofthe below-described claims. Specific alternative embodiments include anemail delivery of a message containing the above described plurality ofquestions 122, to which the user can reply with responses completed in astandardized way that enables automatic data capture of the responsereceived in the reply email.

Means for Reselecting the Plurality of Suitable Media Clips

The media system 20 includes a means for reselecting 115 the pluralityof suitable media clips 82 based upon the feedback 112 gathered from theuser 10. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 9B, the means for reselecting115 includes a means for regenerating 116 the at least two desired mediadescriptions 74 from the feedback 112, and the at least two desiredmedia descriptions 74 are then transmitted to the goal seeking engine 80for processing as described above. In this embodiment, the means forregenerating 116 is preferably a table in the database means 46 whereineach of the plurality of questions 122 is linked to the at least twodesired media descriptions 74.

In this embodiment, if a question is answered incorrectly, the at leasttwo desired media descriptions 74 associated with that question aretransmitted to the goal searching engine 80, in the same manner asdescribed above, to produce the plurality of suitable media clips 82.The plurality of suitable media clips 82 generated is designed tore-instruct the user 10, so he or she can learn the material that wasnot learned during the first viewing.

In another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9C, the means for reselecting115 is provided by a table in the database means 46 wherein each of theplurality of questions 122 is linked to at least one of the plurality ofmedia clips. The selected media clips are then fed into the goal seekingengine 80, where the plurality of suitable media clips 82 are selectedand organized. While these simple mechanisms are currently preferred,those skilled in the art can devise equivalent mechanisms foraccomplishing the same goals, and these equivalent mechanisms should beconsidered within the scope of the claimed invention.

Session File

As shown in FIG. 10, the media system 20 preferably includes a sessionfile 140 that stores session information 142 regarding the activities ofthe user 10 in a temporary file for the purpose of improving the searchresults generated. The session information 142 is preferably associatedwith each of the plurality of media clips 34. The session information142 preferably includes a play history field 144 that shows whether themedia clip 34 has been played before, and a question answer field 146that shows whether the question associated with the media clip has beenanswered correctly or incorrectly.

In use, the goal seeking engine 80 continuously updates the sessioninformation 142 and then consults the session information 142 during theprocess of selecting the plurality of suitable media files. After theuser 10 has viewed several sessions using the media system 20, the goalseeking engine 80 will gain a valuable source of information to improveits performance. For instance, if the user 10 watches clip 2, a 5 minuteclip about the birth of Lincoln, and is unable to answer the relatedquestion, “Where was Lincoln born?”, the goal seeking engine 80 mightfavor clip 1, which is a more complete 10 minute clip about the birth ofLincoln. If the user 10 watches clips 7, 9, and 11, and is not able toanswer the related questions, the goal seeking engine 80 might favorrelated clips 8, 10, and 12 during the second attempt at generating theplurality of suitable media clips 82.

Distribution Via The Global Computer Network

While we have referred to the use of a CD 30 having at least one mediafile 32 that can then be customized by the user 10, it is also possibleto utilize this technology in other ways. In an alternative embodimentshown in FIG. 14, the storing means 30 is a central computer hard-drive134 of a central computer 130 operably connected to at least onepersonal computer 70 via a network such as a global computer network.The central computer 130 is programmed by one skilled in the art andincludes a central database 132 to directly download data to any of thepersonal computers that request the data. In one embodiment, the centralcomputer 130 downloads the at least one media file 32 and the mediaorganization file 36 to the hard-drive or RAM of one of a network ofpersonal computers via a global computer network. In another embodiment,the at least one media file 32 and the media organization file 36 remainresident on the central computer 130, and only the plurality of suitablemedia clips 82 are transmitted to the personal computer, via eitherdownload or streaming technologies. As will be recognized by thoseskilled in the art, this allows content providers to sell content insmall and customized packages rather than just in bulk. The user 10could obtain a small segment of content, presumably for a lower cost,rather than be required to purchase an entire work. It also allows thecontent provider to collect fees for each segment of the work, ratherthan only one fee for the entire work.

An active connection to the central computer 130 enables additionalfunctionality. One example of added functionality includes thecapability to direct the session files 140 generated by the varioususers 10 to the central computer 130 where the results can be analyzedto enhance the media product. For example, if many users 10 view clip 2and are unable to answer the related question correctly, then this clipmight eventually be reviewed and possibly revised or removed. If theusers 10 who view clip 1 are almost always able to correctly answer therelated question, clip 1 might be “tagged” as a preferred clip that willalways be included when possible. Those skilled in the art of designingintelligent networks can devise many improvements along these lines toconstantly review and improve the results of the goal seeking engine 80.

Advertising Feedback

Connection of the media system 20 to a central computer 130 via theglobal computer network also enables another feature of the presentinvention, namely the ability to report marketing information directlyback to the producers of the at least one media file or theiradvertisers. As described above, and as shown in FIGS. 6C and 8B, themedia system 20 has the capability of collecting large quantities ofvaluable demographic and marketing information. It would be commerciallyvaluable to collect this information at a central location forprocessing and analysis.

Product Sales

Another aspect of the media system 20 described herein is that such asystem can also be used to directly sell a product to the consumer. Ananalysis of the demographic data, the plurality of suitable media clips82 that are suitable, and the other input made by the user 10, acommercial entity controlling the central computer 130 would be uniquelysituated to make sales to the user 10. After the user 10 who isinterested in paintball watches several sessions, answers questions, andprovides the necessary marketing feedback 112, it should be pretty clearwhat types of products the user 10 might be interested in purchasing. Ifthe user 10 watches several sessions regarding the performance ofseveral paintball markers, the central computer 130 might transmit anoffer to sell a paintball marker at a special bargain rate. Informationabout commercial sales could then be added to the session information142, to further refine the quality of the sessions produced by the goalseeking engine 80.

While the invention has been described with reference to at least onepreferred embodiment, it is to be clearly understood by those skilled inthe art that the invention is not limited thereto. Rather, the scope ofthe invention is to be interpreted only in conjunction with the appendedclaims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for formatting at least one media file,the method comprising the steps of: defining a plurality of media clipsfrom the at least one media file; defining at least one topic, at leastone complexity rating, and at least one order rating; associating, in adatabase, each of the plurality of media clips with one of the at leastone topic, one of the at least one complexity rating, and one of the atleast one order rating; providing a plurality of questions; associating,in the database, each of the plurality of questions with at least one ofthe plurality of media clips; and storing the at least one media file,the at least one topic, the at least one complexity rating, the at leastone order rating, the database, and the plurality of questions, on anelectronic storage device.
 2. A method for formatting at least one mediafile, the method comprising the steps of: defining a plurality of mediaclips from the at least one media file; defining at least one topic, atleast one complexity rating, and at least one order rating; measuringeach of the plurality of media clips to determine a length of time ofeach of the plurality of media clips; associating each of the pluralityof media clips with the length of time measured; associating each of theplurality of media clips with at least one of the at least one topic;associating each of the plurality of media clips with at least one ofthe at least one complexity rating; associating each of the plurality ofmedia clips with at least one of the at least one order rating;providing a plurality of questions; and associating each of theplurality of questions with at least one of the plurality of mediaclips.
 3. A method for playing a selected portion of at least one mediafile, the method comprising the steps of: defining a plurality of mediaclips from the at least one media file; defining at least one topic, atleast one complexity rating, and at least one order rating; measuringeach of the plurality of media clips to determine a length of time ofeach of the plurality of media clips; providing a database forassociating each of the plurality of media clips with one of the atleast one topic, one of the at least one complexity rating, one of theat least one order rating, and the length of time measured; associatingeach of the plurality of media clips with the length of time measured;associating each of the plurality of media clips with at least one ofthe at least one topic; associating each of the plurality of media clipswith at least one of the at least one complexity rating; associatingeach of the plurality of media clips with at least one of the at leastone order rating; providing a means for soliciting feedback including aplurality of questions; associating each of the plurality of questionswith at least one of the plurality of media clips; receiving a desiredtopic, a desired complexity, and a desired play length; selecting fromthe plurality of media clips only those media clips that are associatedwith the at least one topic that matches the desired topic; selectingfrom those media clips that are associated with the at least one topiconly those media clips that are associated with the at least onecomplexity rating that matches the desired complexity; selecting, fromthose media clips that are associated with both the at least one topicthat matches the desired topic and the at least one complexity ratingthat matches the desired complexity, a plurality of suitable media clipswhich are not duplicates, based on the order rating, and the sum ofwhose length of time is approximately equal to the desired play length;sorting the plurality of suitable media clips based on the order rating;playing the plurality of suitable media clips; transmitting those of theplurality of questions that are associated with the plurality ofsuitable media clips; receiving feedback; reselecting the plurality ofsuitable media clips based upon the answers to the questions; andplaying the reselected plurality of suitable media clips.
 4. The methodof claim 3 further comprising the steps of: storing the feedback in thedatabase; connecting the database to a central computer via the globalcomputer network; reporting the feedback to the central computer; andstoring the feedback in a central database of the central computer. 5.The method of claim 3 further comprising the steps of: storing thefeedback in the database; connecting the database to a central computervia the global computer network; transmitting an offer to sell a productfrom the central computer to the media system; and receiving an orderfrom the media system into the central computer.
 6. A method for playinga selected portion of at least one media file, the method comprising thesteps of: defining a plurality of media clips from the at least onemedia file; defining at least one topic, at least one complexity rating,and at least one order rating; measuring each of the plurality of mediaclips to determine a length of time of each of the plurality of mediaclips; providing a database means for associating each of the pluralityof media clips with one of the at least one topic, one of the at leastone complexity rating, one of the at least one order rating, and thelength of time measured; associating each of the plurality of mediaclips with the length of time measured; associating each of theplurality of media clips with at least one of the at least one topic;associating each of the plurality of media clips with at least one ofthe at least one complexity rating; associating each of the plurality ofmedia clips with at least one of the at least one order rating;providing a plurality of questions; associating each of the plurality ofquestions with at least one of the plurality of media clips; receiving adesired topic, a desired complexity, and a desired play length;selecting from the plurality of media clips only those media clips thatare associated with the at least one topic that matches the desiredtopic; selecting from those media clips that are associated with the atleast one topic only those media clips that arc associated with the atleast one complexity rating that matches the desired complexity;selecting, from those media clips that are associated with both the atleast one topic that matches the desired topic and the at least onecomplexity rating that matches the desired complexity, a plurality ofsuitable media clips which are not duplicates, based on the orderrating, and the sum of whose length of time is approximately equal tothe desired play length; sorting the plurality of suitable media clipsbased on the order rating; playing the plurality of suitable mediaclips; transmitting those of the plurality of questions that areassociated with the plurality of suitable media clips; receiving answersto the questions; reselecting the plurality of suitable media clipsbased upon the answers to the questions; and playing the reselectedplurality of suitable media clips.
 7. The method of claim 6 furthercomprising the steps of: storing the feedback in the database;connecting the database to a central computer via the global computernetwork; reporting the feedback to the central computer; and storing thefeedback in a central database of the central computer.
 8. The method ofclaim 6 further comprising the steps of: storing the feedback in thedatabase; connecting the database to a central computer via the globalcomputer network; transmitting an offer to sell a product from thecentral computer to the media system; and receiving an order from themedia system into the central computer.
 9. A method for playing mediabased upon feedback from a user, comprising the steps of: forming atleast one media file on an electronic storage device; forming a mediaorganization file in the electronic storage device; associating the atleast one media file with a plurality of media clips; defining at leastone topic, at least one complexity rating, and at least one orderrating; associating each of the plurality of media clips with one of theat least one topic, one of the at least one complexity rating, and oneof the at least one order rating; receiving a desired tonic and adesired complexity; selecting from the plurality of media clips aplurality of suitable media clips wherein the one of the at least onetopic associated with each of the selected suitable media clips matchesthe desired topic, the one of the at least one complexity ratingassociated with each of the selected suitable media clips matches thedesired complexity, and the one of the at least one order ratingassociated with each of the selected suitable media clips does not matchthe order rating at other suitable media clips indicating that theselected suitable media clips are not duplicates; playing the pluralityof suitable media clips for the user; soliciting feedback from the user;reselecting the plurality of suitable media clips based on the feedback;and playing the reselected plurality of suitable media clips.